


The saddest day aka How Gwaine brought happiness back to Camelot

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-01 02:01:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1039008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwaine is always there to help out his best friend. But things don't look good when the man his friend wants gets married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of the very first stories I've written in this fandom, trying to get back into writing at all. I'd only seen 3 seasons when I wrote this, but I think it doesn't wander too far from canon. I don't even recall if this is betaed, it doesn't say anything about that in my notes, so forgive me my own take on the English language ;)

It was a day of festivities for Camelot. The King had married one of his best friends, so it was the time to celebrate. Not being one to decline the next mug of mead, Gwaine and some of the other knights had their share of alcohol. But Gwaine knew better. So he pretended to be really drunk in a very short time, so he would be excused from the feast as quickly as possible. 

He stumbled across the courtyard until he was sure that nobody was watching him leave, then straightened up and made his way to his chambers, where he changed into nothing but a plain shirt and breeches before he settled in to wait for the knock on his door.

When it came, Gwaine was up in no time to open and pull the other man inside. He wrapped his arms around him and just held him through every shaky breath and every sob. He knew this wasn’t the time for witty remarks about the wrinkles in his shirt the other man’s fists left where he held on for dear life and there was no room for jokes and flirting. He just stood, rubbing what he hoped were soothing circles on the other guy’s back, nuzzling into the black hair, letting out a ‘shhh’-noise every once in a while. 

They both had known this day would come. They had talked it over and over again up to a point where Gwaine had suggested that Merlin would find an excuse to not having to witness the ceremony. He didn’t know how he found the strength to be there, to wear that happy and proud smile all day, a smile that never reached Merlin’s eyes. He’d known all along that Merlin was the bravest and toughest of them all and he had seen more of that in the year since Arthur knighted him and the others. He’d moved to Camelot after that and he couldn’t count all the nights that Merlin had stood at his door, all the nights they discussed all this, all the nights Merlin had poured his heart out and was turning to him for comfort. 

The sobs subsided and Merlin stopped shaking in his arms and then Gwaine heard another shaky breath before he felt the other man move a bit. He looked into red-rimmed, swollen blue eyes, saw the streaks the tears had left on Merlin’s face and tried to give an encouraging smile. 

“Make me forget.” A little hoarse whisper. 

Gwaine put a little kiss on Merlin’s forehead. “Are you sure about this?” He didn’t think that Merlin was in any state to make a decision like that, but he got his answer as a firm nod. So he gently pulled Merlin over to his bed, intending on doing his best to replace what his best friend had never had, but still had lost. 

All through their love-making Gwaine knew it was never him Merlin envisioned himself with. That there was a reason why Merlin turned and buried his face into the pillow, why Merlin had his eyes tightly shut while he was riding him, why Merlin never once looked up when he sucked his cock. And that reason had a name, the name Merlin cried out when he finally came. With everyone else, in every other situation, Gwaine would have been furious if a guy yelled any other name than his. But this wasn’t about him tonight, so he just wiped the single tear away that rolled down Merlin’s cheek and wrapped his arms tightly around him. “Sleep.”


	2. Chapter 2

From that night on, Gwaine watched. He watched Merlin who drew back more and more, the usually happy smile on his face almost gone completely. He watched him getting thinner and thinner, watched him losing the playful note in his step, dragging his feet whenever he thought nobody was looking. But he didn’t only keep a close eye on his friend, he noticed other things, too. Like the Queen showing up at the knights’ quarters more and more often, like one of the knights sneaking through dark corridors that lead to the Queen’s chambers. And the King, who seemed to have himself reduced to politics, who trained harder than ever, his teasing all gone, every blow he delivered only meant to destroy. The King, barking orders, making servants run in horror, the light in his eyes gone. 

And when he couldn’t stand all the unhappiness around him any more, Gwaine decided to take action. Action that could get him banned from Camelot once again, action that could even cost him his life. But he knew he had to try. So he gave Merlin looks all through dinner until he finally got the nod he wanted to see, knowing Merlin would show up in his quarters that night. And he waited for the King in one of the corridors, complaining about the condition of the knights’ quarters until the King growled out that he would follow him right at this very moment to take a look at the poor conditions himself if only it would make Gwaine stop complaining. 

This had almost been too easy, on to the more difficult part. 

Gwaine opened the door to his chambers and with a quick look around he noticed that Merlin was already there, sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling at one of his boots. He made a huge gesture towards the King and let him step into the room, only to close the door again from the outside. He waved towards his fellow knights and Leon and Percival immediately came over to do their part. They were instructed to not let anyone out of the room, not even the King. 

Not long after the knights had taken up their positions at the door, said door opened but the King stopped in his tracks when he saw three of his best knights with their arms folded in front of their chests. He closed the door again, causing Leon to grin widely. 

For the next couple of hours they heard names being said in various tones of voices, from being shouted at each other to pleading, as simple means of addressing, they heard the hurt and the regret, they heard the hope and the forgiveness, all muffled through the heavy wooden door. Then they didn’t hear very much at all for a long time but the creaking of Gwaine’s bed and some grunting. And finally Gwaine smirked when he heard the name again, shouted like that one night so many months back, this time addressed to the right person. “Arthur”


End file.
